clause

Compared meaning: a clause or article in a legal document (noun).

比较义项：条款（名词）。

• article

  Refers to a numbered section or division of a legal document, often containing several clauses; broader and more structural than a single clause.

  指法律文件中一个带编号的分节或条目，通常包含若干条款（clause）；比单个条款更大、更具结构性。

  Article 5 of the treaty outlines the obligations of each member state.

  该条约的第五条列出了各成员国的义务。

• clause 本词

  Refers to a single specific provision within a document, often one sentence long, stating one particular condition or rule.

  指文件中一条具体的规定，通常只有一句话长，说明一个特定的条件或规则。

  The contract includes a clause about early termination.

  该合同包含一条关于提前终止的条款。

Article and clause both name a specific provision in a legal document. Clause means one formal sentence stating a single rule, usually numbered. Article means a larger section that can contain several clauses. Article's other meaning, a written report, is not compared here.

两者都指法律文件中的一个具体条款，但 clause 强调文件中一句可独立成立的正式条文，常按编号引用；article 则指条款所属的较大分节或条目，一份合同或法规通常由多个 article 组成，而每个 article 下又可包含若干 clause。这里不比较 article 的“文章、报道”义。